IRCTC to suspend operation of Lucknow-Delhi, Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express trains

The Indian Railway Catering And Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) will suspend its operations of Lucknow-Delhi and Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express trains.

"The management has decided to cancel all departures of IRCTC Tejas trains due to low occupancy levels resulting from coronavirus(COVID-19) pandemic." IRCTC said in a statement.

IRCTC will review its decision after seeing the occupancy level of other trains of Indian Railways operating in both these routes, it added.

Ahmedabad-Mumbai(82901/82902) Tejas express will remain cancelled from 24 November, whereas, The Lucknow-New Delhi(82501/82502) Tejas Express will remain cancelled from 23 November.

The occupancy of the train, with 736 seats, was at just 25 to 40 percent as against 50-80 percent before the outbreak.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, these two Tejas express trains operations were suspended from March 19.

Lucknow-Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express on first run on October 4, 2019 and the Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Ahmedabad first started its services on January 19.

From October 17, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Tejas Express resumed services after remaining suspended for almost seven months due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

To ensure social distancing in train, passengers were thermally screened before entering the coach and not allowed to exchange their seats once seated and every alternate seat on the two trains will be kept vacant.